Mayor in court over fridge funds

PM - Monday, 21 May , 2007 18:35:37

Reporter: Anne Barker

MARK COLVIN: It's hard to imagine a refrigerator being the subject of an entire day's court hearing.

But that was the case in Darwin today where prosecutors have outlined charges of stealing, deception and intent to deceive, against no less a figure than the city's Lord Mayor, Peter Adamson.

The Magistrates Court has set down five full days to decide whether the Lord Mayor misused council funds to buy a $900 fridge, and $1,800 worth of shopping vouchers.

PM's reporter Anne Barker was in court, and filed this report.

ANNE BARKER: The Lord Mayor and his fridge have been a running joke in Darwin virtually since Peter Adamson bought it nearly a year ago.

At times the Lord Mayor himself has seen the humour. On New Year's Eve he arrived at a party dressed as a fridge, with his girlfriend who went as a policewoman.

Back then he said he was having a bit of fun at his own expense.

But the joke had worn a little thin today, when a visibly nervous Peter Adamson appeared in Darwin Magistrates Court.

He has pleaded not guilty to four charges of stealing, obtaining property by deception, intent to deceive and making a false statement.

The prosecution alleges that on June the 30th last year the Lord Mayor asked his personal assistant how much money was left in an expense fund set aside for gifts and donations.

When told it was about two and a half thousand dollars, it's alleged he announced plans to go to Darwin's Casuarina Shopping Centre to buy some gift vouchers to use up the money by the end of the financial year.

Prosecutor Jack Karczewski told the court that same day Peter Adamson bought a $900, two-door, frost-free refrigerator on his personal card, and arranged to have it delivered the next day to the apartment he shared with his girlfriend.

At the same time, he said, the Lord Mayor bought $1,800 worth of gift vouchers for various stores.

It's alleged he then returned to the council offices, and gave the receipts to his assistant, asking her to arrange for him to be reimbursed.

But the prosecutor said, far from donating the goods to charity, Peter Adamson used the gifts himself.

And over several weeks most of the vouchers were used to buy shoes and clothing, jewellery, cosmetics, women's underwear, a punching bag and a Darth Vader voice changer, which apparently makes the user sound like the character from Star Wars.

(excerpt from Star Wars)

DARTH VADER: The force is with you young Skywalker but you are not a Jedi yet.

(end excerpt from Star Wars)

ANNE BARKER: But the force was not with Peter Adamson today.

Darwin City Council's Chief Executive Officer Alan McGill also gave evidence against him, saying it was him who called the police when the Lord Mayor was unable to account for the fridge or the vouchers.

He said the Lord Mayor had told him he had no recollection of where the vouchers had gone.

And insisted he'd donated the fridge to St Vincent de Paul, yet St Vinnies had no record of any such gift.

Then suddenly, he said, the Lord Mayor told him one day the penny had dropped. He'd mistakenly claimed for his own fridge because he'd bought several fridges around that time.

In October, Mr McGill said the Lord Mayor rang him to say he'd just delivered the fridge to another charity, not St Vincent de Paul.

The court was told police later searched the Lord Mayor's apartment and council office, where they found most of the other goods.

Prosecutor Jack Karcsewski said Darwin's electrical retailers would also give evidence that none had sold any other fridges to Peter Adamson around that time.